Blog

August 6, 2011

The first family consists of two cousins from Cuba. They left the country because of economic hardships. In Cuba, they were not able to earn enough money to live and it was difficult to afford the things they needed. One of the cousins worked at a tire repair shop. In order to seek a better life, the cousins went to Mexico and crossed the border, through Texas, into America. They left their family behind in Cuba, but have been able to contact them since arriving in the United States. They are very happy to be here, but say they need some time to get used to the hot weather!

Our second visit is to a young man from Eritrea. After finishing high school, he was forced to join the national service. He served in the army for five years, however, members were not paid and were fed very little. He crossed the border into Ethiopia where he stayed in a refugee camp. In the camp he was able to attend a school run by humanitarian organizations. He stayed in the camp for seven years before coming to America. He is hoping to find a job here working in construction and to continue advancing his English.